Who's Doing What?

Here's a snapshot of personnel moves, recognition, contracts awards, partnerships, and new company names that were announced in March.

Apr 02, 2011

Movers

Beca Named Vice President at Robert Kach Group

John Beca has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing for the Robert Kach Group. The company, headquartered in Clinton, Conn., designs and manufacturers custom display systems and provides exhibition and inventory services globally to numerous industrial and pharmaceutical companies.

Beca spent 33 years with ITT Corporation in numerous marketing management positions. He ultimately assumed the title of director – communications for ITT’s industrial group, responsible for all media, trade shows, public relations, and Internet marketing.

Beca began his industrial marketing career in Sales Promotion with Worthington Pump Company.

Martin Kerckhoff Promoted at American Water

Martin Kerckhoff of St. Louis has been promoted to serve as American Water's new deputy general counsel of operations. He has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate lawyer and business leader.

In his new position, Kerckhoff will manage the company’s legal department that supports operating subsidiaries throughout the country. In addition, he now oversees the national government affairs function.

He joined the company six years ago as regional general counsel for the Central Region, which included Missouri American Water and Illinois American Water, and later served as divisional general counsel for the company’s Western Division.

Hydraulic Institute Names Board, OfficersThe Hydraulic Institute announced its 2011 board of directors and officers during its 94th annual meeting recently held in Scottsdale, Ariz.

And Vice Presidents Dave McKinstry, vice president with IMO Colfax, Dave Roland, president of Pentair Water - Engineered Flow GBU, and Mike Medaska, vice president of ARO Fluid Products.

Liberty Tire Recycling Appoints Fornal as ManagerPittsburgh-based Liberty Tire Recycling, announced the promotion of Angela Fornal to manager of environmental programs. In her new role, Fornal will develop and support programs to help the company continue to operate its business in an environmentally responsible manner.

“Angela has been an important member of the Liberty Tire Recycling team for more than a decade,” said Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Liberty Tire Recycling. “During her time with the company, she has spearheaded and managed many important company initiatives, including several environmental programs. Given the company’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility, Angela was the ideal candidate for managing all of our environmental programs.”

Previously, Fornal worked as a project scientist in the waste divisions of the engineering consulting firms Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., in New Jersey and Virginia; and Blasland, Bouck and Lee, Inc. in Pittsburgh. She earned a bachelor's degree in environmental resource management at the Pennsylvania State University.

Walker has been a member of the sales team for more than 10 years and has more than 30 years of experience in plant operations, technical support, sales and general management in the lubricants industry.

Blumberg on Sabbatical to Study WaterbodiesAlan Blumberg, Ph.D., professor and director of the Center for Maritime Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology, will be taking a six-week sabbatical to Europe to study bodies of water primarily in Italy and Paris as well as the Gulf of Eilat in Israel and tides in Normandy.

The trip is sponsored by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Blumberg plans to study the impact of coastal urban environments considered vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, climate risk, sustainability of engineered systems, and mitigating the effects of environmental change on urban areas, the economy, and society at large.

“My goal is to encourage and assist in the development of “best management” practices for existing mega-cities like New York and for emerging coastal cities in developing countries for mitigating the very real risks of living in the coastal zone,” said Blumberg.

Hatho Joins SCS EngineersSCS Engineers (SCS) has announced that Jay Hatho has joined the firm as vice president and chief information officer. Hatho comes to SCS with more than 24 years of information technology management experience, including his last position as chief technical officer for the online brokerage firm, UNX, Inc., and an earlier six-year assignment in Singapore.

Hatho’s experience includes creating engineering teams that help to contribute to the future growth of companies; creating new business practices and strategies that contributed to revenue and growth; and working with internal and external resources to develop strong technology teams with quantifiable and sustainable results.

His responsibilities will encompass all IT infrastructure, utilities, and applications. His duties will include assisting staff in all SCS offices to apply suitable information technology for the benefit of the firm’s clients and to optimize SCS’s in-house operations.

Stover Joins Desalitech to Launch Closed-circuit Desalination Desalitech, a company that develops reverse osmosis desalination, has announced that Richard L. Stover, Ph.D., joined the company as executive vice president.

Previously Stover was chief technical officer and senior vice president of marketing for Energy Recovery, Inc. There he was responsible for technical and commercial development of the ERI Pressure Exchanger energy recovery device and helped lead the company’s successful IPO. He also previously served as Vice President of Oasys Water where he developed forward osmosis systems.

Stover will lead the new company’s business development, product launch, and commercialization efforts.

Desalitech, based in Tel Aviv, is developing and commercializing proprietary desalination technologies to address the growing global water crisis.

Mesa Consolidated Water District Hires FinchMesa Consolidated Water District hired Justin Finch as conservation specialist.

He has a master's degree in public policy from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a bachelor's degree from San Jose State University in Environmental Studies.

Prior to joining the company, Finch served as water conservation auditor for the Los Osos Community Services District in Los Osos, Calif. and he held a similar position with the City of Paso Robles, Calif.

At the district, Finch will support water use efficiency programs and activities by identifying, evaluating, promoting, and implementing wise water use measures.

MIOX Promotes Lee to Chief Operating Officer

MIOX Corporation has appointed Kyle Lee chief operating officer.

As chief operating officer, Lee is responsible for the company’s production, distribution, sales support, and marketing efforts for all its products. He joined the company as director of operations from Intel Corporation, where he was the factory production manager responsible for the daily operations of the then largest Intel semiconductor factory.

A native of New Mexico, Lee has an undergraduate degree from Stanford University in quantitative economics, and received a master's degree in business administration from the University of New Mexico.

Eriez Hires Vrablic as New Heavy Industries Sales Engineer

Eriez® has announced the appointment of Brian Vrablic to the new position of sales engineer – recycling.

Vrablic will support the company's Heavy Industries Group, which is led by Dan Norrgran.

Before joining Eriez, Brian served as a regional manager for Balemaster, a manufacturer of balers, shredders, and hoggers for the waste handling industry. He earned his electrical engineering degree from Tri-State University in Angola, Ind., and his master's degree from Indiana University-Northwest.

TIGG Corporation Names Kearns Director of National Accounts

TIGG Corporation announced that Jim Kearns has rejoined the company in a newly created position: director of national accounts.

Kearns has more than 30 years of experience in consultative project development and relationship management of customer accounts, along with sales and marketing strategy development and implementation. His experience includes a fundamental understanding of process engineering, remediation technology, and water/air treatment systems.

TIGG Corporation designs and fabricates systems that use activated carbon and other purification media to treat air, water, wastewater, and process streams.

Pump Solutions Appoints Brito to Director Position

Pump Solutions Group, a member of the New York-based Dover Fluid Management market segment and part of its Fluid Solutions platform, has appointed Edison Brito as market development director, Americas.

Edison comes to PSG after most recently serving as outside sales engineer for Hayes Pump in Fairfield, N.J. Prior to joining Hayes Pump, he was a pumping systems engineer for La Llave in Quito, Ecuador.

Edison, who speaks fluent English and Spanish, has served as instructor for several training institutions, in addition to publishing work on industrial pumping applications. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Ecuador – Polytechnic School.

Hunt Takes Renewable Energy Role at OTE CorporationSheldon Hunt, who has served for 12 years as the primary utility consultant and energy adviser for the U.S. Army in the Pacific Region, has been appointed vice president of operations for Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation (OTE), the developer of systems using the natural temperature gradient of the ocean to produce clean, sustainable base-load power and fresh, potable water.

Sheldon is a registered professional engineer in Hawaii with more than 20 years’ experience in the Pacific region within the utility, energy and environmental sectors. As a consultant to the private sector, he has conducted feasibility studies for ocean thermal energy projects in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, including the proposed Waikiki seawater district cooling (SDC) project in Hawaii, and worked on the Diego Garcia OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversion) utility service contract proposal for the U.S. Navy.

Gabriel Named Senior Vice President at Black & VeatchBlack & Veatch’s Management Consulting business has expanded upon its expertise in utility strategic planning with the addition of Mark Gabriel. In his new role, Gabriel will lead the company’s Strategy Practice that helps clients manage risks and enhance performance across their utility operations.

Gabriel has more than 20 years of utility-focused experience. Prior to joining Black & Veatch, Gabriel was a senior vice president at a national business and technical consulting agency. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Argos Utilities Inc., and is based in Denver, Colo.

Watson Retires; Allen New President of Tennessee American WaterAfter more than 30 years of distinguished service, Tennessee American Water President John Watson has announced his intention to retire from American Water, effective May 1.

Watson started his career with the company in 1977 at Indiana American Water, and since that time has held leadership positions with the company’s subsidiaries in Indiana as well as Ohio, Virginia, and in recent years, Tennessee.

Watson’s successor is Deron Allen. A native of Richmond, Ind., Allen has served as vice president of Operations for Indiana American Water since April 2010.

Allen has nearly 28 years experience in the water utility industry. He joined Indiana American Water in 1985 as a treatment plant operator and from there moved into various positions in water treatment and distribution.

He left the company in the early 1990s for a management position with the Crowder College Environmental Resource Center in Neosho, Mo., and eventually led the center’s Environmental Health and Safety Division. He returned to Indiana American Water in 2001 and was named the utility’s vice president of operations nine years later.

Recognition

Prince Named ASCE Region 9 Outstanding Younger Civil Engineer CH2M Hill has announced that Jessica Prince, P.E., an associate engineer based in the company’s San Diego office, has been named the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Region 9 (California) 2010 Outstanding Younger Civil Engineer.

This award recognizes the efforts of younger civil engineers to further advance the field of civil engineering through innovative concepts, research, and materials.

Prince has been active in the ASCE San Diego chapter Younger Member Forum (YMF), where she has served as the scholarship chair, engineer day at the mall chair, secretary, and membership chair. She also has been the co-practitioner adviser for the San Diego State University ASCE student chapter for three years, for which during her own college years she served as the vice president and president.

The YMF also cited Prince’s contributions to the engineering industry through her encouragement of and involvement with engineering students who often feel overwhelmed during the transition from student to practitioner.

Schock Wins 2011 A.P. Black AwardThe American Water Works Association has announced that Michael Schock is the recipient of the 2011 A.P. Black Award.

Schock, a research chemist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has demonstrated outstanding research contributions to water supply at a high scientific level. As an environmental chemist, he has contributed highly significant work to drinking water research, with an emphasis on internal corrosion and scaling within distribution systems. His contributions have found their way into national policy, utility practice, and the work of other scientists.

Schock will receive his award at AWWA’s Annual Conference and Exposition in Washington, D.C., on June 13. He will be the featured speaker during the Technical Education Council’s plenary session that afternoon.

Contract Awards

Boston Selects GEI Consultants GEI Consultants, Inc., has been selected to perform environmental consulting services on an as-needed basis by the city of Boston, Department of Neighborhood Development Real Estate Management and Sales Division. The contract is for three years.

The assignment will include environmental investigations required to fulfill the needs of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related lending institutions. GEI was chosen because of its demonstrated and substantial experience in managing and executing environmental consulting projects for these agencies. Having on-staff licensed site professionals was a requirement for selection.

Partnerships

Hydro International Announces Mexican Distribution RelationshipHydro International announced the expansion of its North American sales territory into Mexico through a new relationship with Soluciones Hidropluviales, S.A. de C.V.

Hidropluviales will be the exclusive distributor of Hydro International’s portfolio of stormwater products throughout Mexico.

Stormwater management is an increasingly important consideration to real estate developers, urban planners, and environmental regulators across Mexico. “We are seeing significant demand for Hydro International’s stormwater management products, both in the development of new projects and the improvement of stormwater management systems at existing sites,” said Alberto Santos Burgoa, CEO of Hidropluviales.

Wachs Water Services and Veritec Consulting Sign MOU Wachs Water Services and Veritec Consulting Inc., have announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at further helping utilities ensure reliable and sustainable operation of aging water distribution systems.

The MOU outlines cooperation in a number of areas, including the use of advanced LDS 1000 and Investigator pipeline condition assessment services for in-line leak detection, non-revenue water loss programs, accurate hydraulic modeling, and flow and pressure inspections.

“We are excited to introduce Veritec’s proven approaches to water loss assessment and non-revenue water loss reduction planning to our customers,” said Cliff Wilson, president, Wachs Water Services.

Under the terms of the MOU, the scope of the strategic alliance will include joint field training and cooperative marketing to customers and channels throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

New Names

PBSJ Corporation Is Renamed AtkinsThe PBSJ Corporation and its PBS&J subsidiary company has been renamed Atkins. The company operates as a national business of Atkins in North America following its acquisition in October 2010. Atkins is the world's 11th largest design firm.

“The Atkins name is well known and highly respected through the United Kingdom and Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific and in key sectors such as energy,” said Robert J. Paulsen, former chair and president of The PBSJ Corporation and now president and regional managing director of Atkins in North America.

Holders of more than 97 percent of The PBSJ Corporation’s capital stock voted overwhelmingly to approve the corporation’s acquisition by Atkins last October. Atkins has around 18,000 employees, including more than 3,700 (full- and part-time) in North America.

MWH Soft Changes Name to InnovyzeMWH Soft has announced that it has a new name, Innovyze. The new name and logo more accurately reflect the company’s history of creating innovative, technically advanced modeling and management solutions for the world’s water and wastewater communities.

Historically the hydraulic modeling and management market has been led by two companies, MWH Soft and Wallingford Software. In 2009, these two companies combined.

“The name Innovyze brings together the best characteristics of innovation and analyze, which is represented in our combined organization. It means to introduce something new and to change, while carefully identifying key factors and possible results,” said Paul F. Boulos, Ph.D., Hon.D.WRE, F.ASCE, the company’s president and COO. “Although our name is changing, our people, products, and passion are still focused on our core mission: innovating for sustainable infrastructure.”

As part of the introduction of the Innovyze name, the company has an updated website at www.innovyze.com.